Blue Jays winningest manager recognized by Negro Leagues museum

The man who led the Toronto Blue Jays to their only World Series championships is being recognized by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Cito Gaston was named as one of the four members of the 2025 Hall of Game Class, alongside Dusty Baker, Willie Randolph, and Jerry Manuel.

Blue Jays winningest manager recognized by Negro Leagues museum

On X (formerly Twitter) the official page for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum wrote, "It’s game recognizing game. Celebrating Black Managerial Excellence In The Majors. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is proud to announce that Dusty Baker, Cito Gaston, Willie Randolph, and Jerry Manuel will make up the 2025 Hall of Game Class, with Tony Reagins receiving the inaugural JL Wilkinson “Innovator” Award. Established by the in 2014, the Hall of Game honors former greats who played the game in the spirit and signature style that made Negro Leagues Baseball a fan favorite."

This year's celebration comes on the 50th anniversary of Frank Robinson breaking MLB’s managerial color barrier in 1975. The recognition also ties in with the museum’s new, multi-year theme, “Leaders & Innovators,”

Gaston is the winningest manager in Blue Jays history, compiling a record of 894-837 during his 12 seasons at the helm. He was Toronto's hitting coach in 1982 and was a part of each one of their first five AL East division title. In 1985 he was still in his role as the teams hitting instructor, before taking over the managerial job in May of 1989. He helped the Blue Jays turn their season around and led them to their second division title that year, before rattling off three in a row between 1991-1993.

While the Blue Jays couldn't get over the hump in '89 and '91, in 1992 Toronto went 96-66 and exorcised their playoff demons by taking care of the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS, becoming the first Canadian team to reach the World Series. They dispatched the Atlanta Braves in six games to take home the championship and Gaston became the first African American Manager in MLB history to guide his team to a World Series championship.

The team went 95-67 the following year en-route to a second straight title - the first team since the 1977-78 Yankees to go back-to-back.

Gaston would stay with the Blue Jays until 1997 before he was let go by then General Manager Gord Ash. He returned to the role in the middle of the 2008 season and would manage the Blue Jays through the end of the 2010 campaign before retiring for good. During his tenure with Toronto he was the American Leagues' Manager during the 1993 and 1994 All-Star games and was named to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 1999.

On the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum website, an official statement reads, "The 2025 Hall of Game class underscores how Black leadership has shaped modern baseball strategy, culture, and player development—on the field and in the front office. From Baker’s record-setting tenure to Gaston’s back-to-back titles, Randolph’s winning Mets run, Manuel’s award-winning White Sox turnaround, and Reagins’ youth-to-pro pipeline work, each honoree advances the game in the spirit of the Negro Leagues’ ingenuity."

The induction ceremony will take place on October 4, 2025.